Suspect in fatal shooting of officer held without bail

By Beverley Wang, Associated Press Writer

MANCHESTER, N.H.- Dozens of city police officers crowded court benches and peered through a courtroom door to see the man accused of killing fellow Officer Michael Briggs, after the suspect returned to the state Monday.

Michael Addison, 26, was arraigned on a capital murder charge in Manchester District Court three weeks after his arrest in Boston.

Addison, described in court documents as an unemployed father of two children, ages 2 and 8, was ordered held without bail. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

His lawyers, public defenders Richard Guerriero and Donna Brown, asked prosecutors for sealed affidavits so they can prepare for a preliminary hearing. The defense also filed paperwork asking that all evidence, including any taken in Massachusetts, and by police investigating related incidents in Hudson and Milford, be preserved.

Before the arraignment, a bailiff warned the spectators that no outbursts would be tolerated. During the brief proceeding, the courtroom was silent except for the click of a camera and the rattling of Addison's shackles.

Addison was captured at his grandmother's apartment in the Dorchester section of Boston on Oct. 16, the day Briggs was shot in the head. Briggs, a father of two boys, died at Elliot Hospital the next day.

Earlier Monday, Addison appeared briefly in Dorchester District Court and waived his right to fight his return. He had faced a charge of being a fugitive from justice in Massachusetts, but the count was dismissed when he agreed to be taken to New Hampshire.

Manchester police officers took Addison back to New Hampshire. He was taken to the state prison in Concord after the arraignment.

Attorney General Kelly Ayotte declined to speculate on why Addison decided not to fight his return. Asked whether Briggs' family supported the death penalty, Ayotte declined to comment.

"I really want to respect their privacy," Ayotte said.

Authorities say Briggs was shot when he and a fellow bicycle patrol officer responded to a domestic violence call.